Ellie
by NERD1144
Summary: The first thing he noticed about her was that her golden locks were now jet black and her girly designer-everything style was replaced with a more earthy look of jeans and a flowing tank top.
1. Chapter 1

1"Where are you?" The blonde boy asked with frustration. He moved the cellular from one ear to the other, looking on the other side of the restaurant for another blond head.

"Right behind you, Jeremy." Her soft voice came from behind him and he spun around.

The first thing he noticed about her was that her golden locks were now jet black and her girly designer-everything style was replaced with a more earthy look of jeans and a flowing tank top.

"Ellie?" Shock was an understatement. Jez knew that being in America would change her but this? She looked like an entirely different person!

"Who else would it be?" Jez didn't say anything for a while. "Look, I know the hair is a _little _different and the clothes are achange from what I used to wear but I mean I'm still the same sarcastic and utterly hilarious Ellie I was before I left."

After her rant, Jez grinned and pulled her in for a hug. "You left out annoying." Ellie wrapped her arms around him and laughed.

"Welcome home sister."

--

"So your trip was good, yeah?" Jez asked as they finished up their lunch. Ellie had told him of her six months in America and the many adventures that occurred.

"Yeah, it was brilliant! I saw the most beautiful things. The buildings, the art, the plays, and best of all the boys! Oh, Jez you should've _seen_ some of them." Ellie waggled her eyebrows at her brother who chuckled at his sister's antics. "The best part, though, had to be my job! I actually starred in my own musical! Can you believe it?"

"So, have you talked to dad since he found out?"

Jez shook his head and leaned back in his chair. "No. I don't think he ever wants to talk to me again," He lowered his gaze to the empty plate in front of him. "I don't blame him, really. Who would want a son who was gay _and _wanted to be a dancer?"

Ellie slammed her hand onto the table, tipping their glasses over. "Ellie, what the hell?" Jez exclaimed. "Are you crazy or something?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing." She whispered back fiercely. Jez's eyes narrowed and his face went from surprise to confusion. "You are not to blame for our father's actions, got it?"

The blonde's blue eyes softened at his sister's words. "Jez, you are who you are. No one should ever make you want to change that, especially our father."

The siblings shared a small smile as Ellie added, "Besides if you change now, I might have to find a new brother."

Jez laughed as the serious mood lifted and they entered another petty argument over which waiter was cuter.

"So, Ellie, what do you plan on doing now that you're back in London?" Jez tossed a piece of bread at his sister and received the whole loaf in his face.

"Well, you wanker, I planned on surprising you tomorrow but I guess now is a good time too." The raven haired girl replied. "When I found out that dad knew about Britannia High I figured he'd be pissed, so I arranged for my leave back home."

"What does this – " Jez interrupted.

"Shut up and let me finish, yeah?" Ellie snapped with a smile, knowing her brother would know she was kidding around.

"As I was saying before I was _rudely _interrupted," she glared at Jez and smirked. "I had to make arrangements for when I came back because I wasn't going to lounge around the manor all day so..."

Ellie paused for a minute and her brother got annoyed and opened his mouth again to interrupt, only this time she was quicker.

Ellie picked up a roll and stuffed it into Jez's mouth before the words could form in his brain.

"Canooogetootheepont?" He garbled through the dough.

"I'm sorry what was that, brother? An apology for being rude yet again?" Ellie joked and threw her head back and laughed as Jez pried the bread out of his mouth.

"If we weren't in a public place, I'd tackle you." Jez threatened. "And I said, can you get to the point."

"Fine! My _point_ is that before coming here I sent an audition video to Mr. Nugent at Britannia High and I got accepted!"

Jez was speechless. "You're kidding?" She shook her head and Jez grinned, standing up to give his sister a big hug, which she returned with just as much love.

"I'm proud of you Ellie. You're going to love it at Britannia High! I mean, the classes are hard but nothing you can't take and the studios are brilliant, oh and you get to meet my friends and –wait!"

Ellie was confused at her brother's sudden stop in his rant. "What?"

"You still haven't met my friends!" He said. Ellie stared at him quizzically and became even more confused when he took out his phone.

"What are you doing Jeremy!?"

"What does it look like? I'm calling the gang to come and meet you." He dialed and then placed the phone to his ear. "And don't call me that!"

Ellie smiled at her brother's excitement. She sat back down at the table and waited for him to finish.

He rejoined her a few minutes later and said they would be there in twenty minutes.

"Do they know who I am?" She asked "I mean I know they found out about dad and the money but did you tell them about your beautiful twin sister?" Ellie asked with a smile.

Jez looked down and shook his head. "I, uh, didn't...yet. Not because I don't want them to know you but I was still dealing with the thing with dad, you know?"

The dark haired beauty laughed. "I understand Jez, you don't have to explain." A calming silence flew between them.

"So, what are these friends of yours like?"

Jez jumped into a description of his friends for the next few minutes until they arrived.

--

Elie and Jez had ordered a chocolate cake for when his friends came but it was already half gone.

"Oh wow. Jez, I cannot believe we just finished half a cake!"

"I can." Jez replied sticking the fork into the chocolate. "Remember the Christmas before you left? We devoured a whole one in just ten minutes."

Ellie smiled at the memory. "I was sick for days after! It was really disgusting." She laughed but her face soon contorted into confusion after she looked over his shoulder.

"What is it, Ellie?"

"There are these people _staring_ at us. Not in the 'I'm casually glancing around' staring but extreme 'burning holes into your back' staring. It's sort of freaking me out a bit."

Jez laughed and turned around and what he saw was indeed a group of five staring at them with surprised eyes.

"That would be my friends." He smiled and got up to bring them over. There were two boys and three girls who accompanied Jez to the table.

Ellie stood up to greet the new arrivals. All those etiquette lesson her father drilled into her head were never going to leave.

"Ellie, this is BB," He motioned to a boy with braids and a huge smile.

"Claudine," A girl with short black hair and wearing a gorgeous blue dress smiled softly.

"Lola and Lauren," The two girls waved. One had beautiful coffee colored skin and amazing eyes and the other had lovely red hair and an adorable smile.

"And last but not least, Danny." The last boy had curly brown hair and a smile that was brighter than the others.

Jez came to stand next to Ellie and put an arm around her. "Guys, I want you to meet my little sister Elizabeth."

Ellie scowled at Jez. "First off, I`m a minute and three seconds younger than you so stop calling me little," She turned and smiled at his friends. "And people usually call me Ellie."

A round of hello`s went through the group and they spent the rest of the afternoon learning about Jez's sister.

Danny taking in every word the new comer had to say with keen interest.


	2. Chapter 2

Ellie and Jez crossed the street quickly as they looked around for the right house.

"Are you sure we're going in the right direction, J?" Ellie questioned as her brother circled around.

He looked up and shrugged. "I have no clue. It says 2023 right on the paper. But it's nowhere here."

Ellie turned around and stopped in her tracks. "Jeremy?"

"Yeah?" Jez looked up from the map and over at his sister. "And what did I say about calling me that?"

Ellie cocked her hip to the side and raised an eyebrow, tilting her head toward the flat in front of her. "It's nowhere, eh?"

Jez ducked his head and nudged Ellie to the side. "Oh, shut up."

The twins walked into the building and up the lift to the right suite.

"Now you're sure you want to live together, Jez?" Ellie asked for the fifth time. "I mean, I'm a slob. Back at the manor, your room was in the other wing, you never even saw my room or how I lived in – ."

"Ellie! I'm not changing my mind. We're getting a flat together for two reasons; one being that my roommate is absolutely _mad_ and two being that you are my _sister_. I don't care if you're a slob, okay?"

Ellie nodded her head with grin.

--

"So when do you guys move in?"

Danny asked Jez as he plopped down on the couch.

Elizabeth had gone shopping but for what, Jez did not know. So he decided to go over to the house that Danny, Claudine, Lauren, and Lola lived in to hang out for a while.

"As soon as possible, I guess." The blonde answered sitting down across from Danny. "Ellie has to get her stuff from my dad's and then we'll move in."

At the sound of his sister's name Jez noticed a change in Danny's eyes. They were brighter, more interested.

"How is Ellie?" He asked. "She getting herself fixed for Britannia High?"

"Yeah, she's really excited, actually. Can't even wait to get into Stefan's class."

The boys laughed. "That'll change by Monday, I reckon?" Danny joked.

"Yeah, totally."

After a long but comfortable silence, Danny asked a more serious question. "Jez, did your dad freak on Ellie when she said she wanted to be a performer?"

Jez shifted uncomfortably on the chair and looked at Danny. "No." Jez took a deep breath and continued, "You see, Ellie looks just like my mum. After she had died my dad was mess but whenever he'd see Ellie, he'd smile."

Jez's eyes glassed over with tears but he blinked them away so Danny wouldn't notice. But he had and to comfort Jez he moved to sit beside him on the couch.

He placed a hand on Jez's shoulder to encourage him to continue.

"She told him when we were 12 that she wanted to be the best performer in the world and he didn't object. He put her in all the best schools and paid for all the right classes so that she could be the best."

Danny opened his mouth to say something but decided against it. Jez looked over at him and continued.

"I knew I could never get the same treatment as her. My life was already planned, I would study economics in college then we'd go into business together. It was his dream and I knew I had to go along with it."

Danny intervened, "But it's your life, Jez. He can't tell you who to be."

The blonde laughed and looked at Danny. "You sound like Ellie. She always believed in me, supported me, loved me. No matter what I did."

Danny smirked. "How could she not, Jez? You're talented and an amazing person, I believe in you too."

Jez laughed and turned his body to face Danny's. "Are you just saying that because you fancy my sister?" His tone was light and all traces of sorrow were gone.

Danny was shocked that he knew.

Stuttering a bit, Danny tried to cover up but it didn't work. "It's okay Danny. Ellie is a big girl, she can make her own decisions." Jez took a deep breath and with a flicker of pain across his face, he said, "And if she decides to be with you, than there is no stopping her."

Danny glanced worriedly at his friend. "Lets not talk about that now." He stood up quickly and held out his hand to the blonde. "Fancy a jog around the block?"

The pair left the house and didn't notice Claudine moving away from her hiding spot on the stairs. They also didn't know that she had heard every word.

--

"So...do you like it?" Ellie couldn't help the excitement in her voice as she looked at her brother. She spent the whole day furnishing and decorating their new home while Jez was out. They now had a table to eat on, a couch to plop on, and a tv to mush their brains.

"It's wonderful, Ellie." The twins hugged tightly. They sat themselves on the new couch and turned toward each other.

"So, what did you do while I was out shopping my arse off?" Ellie asked with a smile.

"I went over to Danny's to hang, then we went for a run." Jez smiled softly at nothing in particular as he spoke.

"So how long, J?"

Confused, Jez looked over at his sister. "How long what?"

"How long have you had a thing for Danny?" She smirked. "I don't blame you, the boy is gorgeous!"

Jez blushed faintly and mumbled, "There's more to him than his looks."

Nudging her brother's shoulder a bit, she waved her arms as a signal to continue. "Like what?"

"Well for one, he is incredibly funny. He can make any situation a joke even his own problems, though sometimes it's not always a good thing." Jez rubbed a hand against the back of his neck and a bigger grin was now etched on his beautiful face. Aware that Ellie was in the room and watching his every move, Jez cleared his throat and sat up.

"He's just a really good guy." He looked down at the floor but with a quick thought, they flickered over to his sister. "He fancies you, Ellie."

"Oh." Her face went blank for a moment but then she perked up. "That's too bad because I just saw a picture of Stefan and Jezzy boy, I'm in LOVE!!!"

They shared a laugh and the raven-haired twin moved closer to her brother and wrapped an arm around him.

"We are just an undeniable pair, aren't we?"


	3. Chapter 3

Walking through the doors of Britannia High was probably one of Ellie's top ten scariest moments of her life. She stood outside for fifteen minutes wondering if anyone would notice that she was gone, when Jez had come and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"You ready?" He had asked, a proud and excited smile on his face. Ellie smiled back at him with as much enthusiasm as possible.

They were now at their lockers, Ellie's conveniently next to Jez's, and taking out their books for musical theory class.

Not one for the books, Ellie sighed. She just wanted to dance and sing and perform! She didn't want to learn about some dead Russian guy with a fancy wig. Adjusting her bag across her black t-shirt, Ellie and Jez started to class.

"You guys on your way to Musical Theory?" Danny asked, falling into step with the twins. They nodded at the same time and looked over at the curly haired boy.

"How you holding up, Ellie?" He asked peering over at the girl. "I hear you were nervous this morning?"

Smiling abashedly, Ellie responded. "Yeah, I sort of got a little sick." Blushing like mad she looked out the window as they walked on. Stepping into the classroom, Lauren waved her over to the empty seat beside her. Smiling, she walked over and plopped down on the chair, turning to face the perky redhead.

"How're you feeling?" She asked with a knowing glance. "The first day is a real pain in the arse but you'll soon love it here!"

With a choked laugh, Ellie twisted to face the front of the class but her view of the board was blocked by a silk pink dress.

Looking up, she saw it was none other than Claudine. Her black hair was perfect along with her perfectly pressed dress and perfect matching shoes. It was all so…perfect.

And it made Ellie want to gag. "Hello Claudine," She said sweetly or as sweetly as you could manage with a girl glaring in your face. "How are you this morning?"

"You're in my seat." She stated, her gaze never wavering. Ellie could tell, this girl did not like her one bit. Why? She had no clue but it was unnerving to be disliked for no apparent reason.

"Oh? Am I?" Ellie responded. She was no pushover and if Claudine wanted to push, she'd push her right back. "No one said anything. Guess you've got to find a new place to sit, yeah?"

Claudine's eyes seemed to be on fire, she glared one last time and huffed over to the other side of the class heels clicking as she went. Not paying attention, Ellie took out the stuff from her bag needed for class and got comfortable. That's when she noticed the stares.

BB, Danny, Lauren, Lola, and even Jez stared at Ellie in bewilderment.

"What?"

They all shook their heads and laughed as the bell rang for the start of class…and for the start of Ellie's nap.

--

"You must be Elizabeth." Stefan greeted Ellie with a warm smile and she almost lost her balance, despite being a dancer.

"Ye- yes. But you can call me Ellie, everyone does." She smiled, hoping it _was_ a smile and not a deranged grimace.

Stefan told her to stay in the back, watch the class, then join in since she was new and they were in the middle of learning a new routine. Ellie leaned against the mirrored wall and watched, her gaze flittering from one student to the next. Their arms and legs were moving simultaneously to the beat omitting from the small stereo. One body stood out from the crowd, his movement was graceful and absolute beauty. As he danced, Ellie felt a smile creep on her face and she continued to follow the dancer. His thin body winded and turned as his toned arms waved in the air rhythmically. The song came to an end as the students slowed and Ellie got a look at his face.

It was Danny. Danny was the dancer. Danny was the dancer who she had been watching and entranced by.

"Shit." She mumbled. This cannot be happening, not with one of Jez's friends and especially not with Danny. She cannot be _infatuated_ by her brother's crush

"Alright, Ellie, let's see what you've got." Stefan said from the front of the room. She pushed off against the mirror and stepped up to the centre of the class. Peering up at Stefan she asked, "Do I do it alone?" and received a slightly sadistic smile and a nod.

Ellie breathed in deep and looked into the mirror, she scanned the row of people and saw her brother. He smiled at her but that wasn't what encouraged her to start. It was a green eyed, curly-haired boy who danced with passion and determination and gave Ellie a wink, which made her grin.

"Start the music." Stefan ordered and Ellie was on. She moved exactly as the class had a few minutes ago. Her body in time with the beat and her limbs matching every single movement the group had learned. In her mind, she wasn't remembering the class dancing, she was remembering one person, Danny. She remembered his movements and his twists and turns and the way his body looked as he did what he did best. Dance.

Sweat started to form on her body as the adrenaline and pure exuberance soared through her soul. Forgetting that she had an audience, Ellie let out a laugh as she finished the routine, breathless and feeling more alive than ever.

"That was _brilliant_, Stefan." She breathed. Her chest heaved up and down as she rose from her final stance.

"I know," He responded with assurance. He wanted the class to do their best and look their best and that dance routine was the way to do it.

The bell rang and the rest of the class packed up their things and headed for the change rooms. Lunch was after this class so they all took their time. Except BB, he ran out of the room and hurried to get to the cafeteria.

Jez popped up in her face and Ellie had to take a step back. She smiled at her brother and asked him what he wanted.

"You were amazing, Ellie. I forgot how wonderful it was to watch you dance!" He exclaimed, pride oozing out of him and his blue eyes twinkled down at his sister.

Giving Jez a hug, she replied, "Thank you, J. That means a lot coming from my number one fan."

The twins hugged again and Jez left to go meet up with BB. The classroom was almost empty as Ellie went to fetch her bag in the corner. As she bent down to pick it up, she heard a voice behind her.

"Ellie?" She spun around and was face to face with Danny. She smiled and said hello to him, her nerves wracked after her startling revelation.

"You were – " He paused, looking down at her into her blue eyes. He gave her a wistful smile and continued, "You were absolutely magical out there."

Ellie was not a person to get embarrassed easily. Dirty jokes were her forte but when a cute boy who she just happens to admire says she dances magically, she turns into a pile of goo.

The faint redness of her cheeks didn't go unnoticed by Danny as he leaned in closer. "I've never seen so much passion and a love for dance in one person before…well besides myself."

Ellie giggled at his comment and then mentally scolded herself. She is not going to act like a ditzy flop because of a guy!

Sobering up, she smiled and thanked him. "It was mostly because I was watching you dance," This peaked Danny's interest because he knew she was watching and he wanted to know what she thought. "You were so wonderful that I just _had_ to pull one over on you."

Danny laughed at that and led her out of the class and down the hall to the change rooms.

"I also noticed something…earlier." Danny mentioned in front of the doors to the girls changing area.

"Yeah, what's that?" She said contentedly. Her blue eyes flicked up to his green ones and he sighed. "I noticed you weren't paying any attention in Musical Theory this morning and I just want to tell you, if you want to keep the magic you're going to have to deal with Anna's class."

Ellie straightened up and was about to get defensive when she saw in his gaze that he was just concerned.

"It was just a late night yesterday and I didn't get much sleep…I'll be good tomorrow," She smiled briefly at him and opened the door. "I promise." And with that Ellie entered the changing room and left Danny standing in the hall alone.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Beep! Beep! Beep!

From under a twisted pile of blankets, a hand flung out and swatted through the air trying to reach the piece of plastic making that offending noise. Grunting softly, Ellie's black head popped out and glared at her alarm clock whilst turning it off. It's been a month since she started Britannia High and these early mornings were still a pain.

Crossing her room, she grabbed her robe and a towel and headed toward the bathroom down the tiny hall. The light filtered under the door, which meant Jez was still inside, probably fixing his hair for the millionth time.

"Hey Jezzy boy, could you maybe hurry it up a bit? Some of us have to actually _work_ at looking pretty unlike you." A soft chuckle was heard through the door and the doorknob turned signaling its occupants exit. But the boy who came out was not her blond headed brother but a certain brunette who had been on her mind _a lot _lately.

"Danny!" She gulped. There he stood, clad in nothing but a pair of jeans and giving her that damn smile. Shaking her slightly, she regained her composure...or whatever composure she had at six in the morning. "What are you doing here?" _And using my shower..._

"I was over last night and it was too late for me to go back to my flat, so Jez said to stay here." He peered down at her in confusion. "Didn't you know?" Ellie shook her head and cleared her throat.

"No, I didn't. I kind of fell asleep really early, like seven o' clock early." She laughed. "It's been a long week and I didn't have work, so I was out like a light." Ellie could not believe she was talking about her sleeping problems while he is standing there half-naked in front of her bathroom. At that moment Jez walked by, saw the two of them and just continued walking. "Oh Ellie in case you don't know, Danny's here." He threw over his shoulder on his way to his room with a smile leaving Ellie with nothing to throw at her brother.

"So, I better get out of your way then, yeah? Can't be late for Anna's class or she will have our heads." Danny said and shifted sideways to let Ellie through the threshold. Their bodies brushed slightly as she moved into the bathroom and they locked eyes, something in Danny's gaze made Ellie's body feel like it was on fire. Danny broke the contact as his gaze shifted to the floor and he stepped out into the hallway.

Before she could close the door he smirked and said, "By the way, you don't have to work at being pretty, you just are." He quoted her earlier statement and sauntered down their tiny hallway into the kitchen. Ellie shut the bathroom door and fell down against it with a huge grin on her face. Snapping out of it she remembered class started soon and stripped herself of her clothes and jumped into the shower, trying to think that Danny had just been in the exact same spot.

--

"Ellie, what do you say to a girls night out?" Lauren asked from across their lunch table. The redhead had a beautiful smile on her face that you couldn't deny. Smiling back, Ellie nodded her head, "Sounds lovely, when and where?"

Lauren scribbled the information on a slip of paper and slid it down the table. "Is it just you and I?" Ellie asked. The other girl shook her head and smiled again. "Lola and Claudine are coming too. So, do you want me to come by your flat to pick you up?" After Ellie nodded, Lauren stood with her tray and left the cafeteria. Ellie was left sitting there with the three boys as her company but she didn't mind.

"So boys, what are your plans for tonight?" She raised her eyebrow at the trio and they just shrugged as a response.

"Where are you ladies going tonight?" Her blonde twin asked curiously. Ellie answered him with excitement in her voice, "Lauren didn't say but it will most likely be some sort of nightclub. Guess that means I've got to get my sluttiest clothes out, yeah?" A giggle erupted from her throat at the horrified look on her brother's face.

"You are joking right?" He said fiercely. Ellie shrugged and took a bite of what was left of her lunch. His face was slightly purple so Ellie had to answer the question quick.

Holding up her index finger to signal him to wait, Ellie swallowed her food. "Jez! I was kidding, though a good shag could make this place a lot less dull, I mean it did liven up New York." Her response was nonchalant; as if it was the most normal thing you could talk about. "Oh please, Jez. It was a joke and don't look so shocked that your sister has had sex before. You have too!" An accusatory finger was in Jez's face and he pushed it out of the way.

Jez sputtered a bit before saying, "That is _so _not the point! You are my baby sister and you are _not_ going to any club and shagging some nameless bloke. And that's final!" He stood up threw away his trash and left the cafeteria.

Ellie turned her attention to the other two boys that were left there. "Sorry about that guys, he's being a total twat at the moment Can't even remember how we used to joke around as soon as sex enters the picture." She smiled softly. BB rose out of his seat and said, "I better go check on him. Make sure he's calm enough before going to drama class. He'll surely get himself in trouble if Mr. Nugent is on the end of his anger, yeah?"

Ellie laughed but a frown soon marred her beautiful face. "Tell him not to do anything stupid and that i was only having a laugh." BB nodded his head with a smile on his face. "Okay, I'll catch you two later then." And with that he turned and left the table.

This had to be some big cosmic joke because now it was only her and Danny at the table, alone.

"You excited for tonight then?" He asked, probably trying to make small talk to fill the now awkward silence that her "joke" had created. Ellie crookedly smiled and nodded her head. "Yeah but the excitement is being dumped on by Jez being so stupid! I mean you knew I was only having a laugh, you know, get him all riled up?"

He nodded his head with a smirk and reached across the small space between them, grabbing her hand and giving it a squeeze. "He'll come around. You know him better than anyone, he won't stay mad for long." As he was talking to her, he started to gently play with her fingers. Ellie looked down at their entwined hands and smiled. Looking back up into Danny's blue eyes she felt the atmosphere change quickly. Danny leaned in close and Ellie's breath quickened, coming out in short gasps.

Remembering that Danny was her friend and also the same boy her brother was in love with, Ellie quickly took her hands back and stood up. "Come, we'll be late for class."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Danny had stared at her all through drama and then when she had to sing during vocal class, he _still_ stared. He knew that Ellie was avoiding what was going on between them. The looks and the touches were the root of her problem because then it led to her dreaming about him and wanting to see him as soon as she woke up. It was becoming more intense whenever they were even remotely close and Ellie was going to burst if she didn't get away soon.

Good thing the "Girls Night Out" was tonight or she would go fucking mad.

She was now rushing down the halls of Britannia High to her musical theory class since she had woken up late this morning.

She paused outside the door to calm her breathing and once her pulse was normal, she slid open the door and completed the walk of shame. What was it about someone arriving late to class that gave the rest of the students the right to stare at them? It completely absurd and Ellie was slightly neurotic when it came to people staring at her.

"Ah, Elizabeth. How nice of you to grace us with your presence!" Anna said with an air of sarcasm and condescension. Nodding at her, Ellie went to sit in her seat next to Lauren.

"What no excuse this time?" The blonde professor asked with a sarcastic smile. "Alarm didn't go off? Train came late? Oh, wait, let me guess, you couldn't figure out which pair of shoes to wear?"

Knowing that answering back would get her in a heap of unwanted trouble, Ellie bit her tongue at every jab Anna made. She knew that her punctuality was a problem and Anna had every right to be mad, to punish her in some way but the satirical taunting was grating on her last nerve.

Anna stared at her, waiting for an answer. Ellie gritted her teeth and said, "I don't have an excuse for you Anna, I'm just late." This answer seemed to tide over the teacher's anger for she said, "Fine but if you are late one more time, I will have you cleaning the flutes after school."

The whole class made a noise of disgust knowing that cleaning out the spit-filled wood is the worst punishment. As Anna went back to teaching the class, Lauren leaned over and whispered, "Why _are_ you late?"

"The usual bit, I was dead tired and hit the snooze one too many times. Didn't even have enough time to shower." She smirked at the redhead and turned to the window to watch the wind wrap itself around the trees for the next half hour instead of listening to which dead composer Anna was rambling about. The familiar feeling of someone watching her crept upon Ellie until the bell rang for their second class.

"I'll come 'round your flat at about 10, yeah?" Lauren said as they entered the change rooms.

"Yeah, totally. I'll be ready, I promise." They changed quickly into their shorts and tanks and headed to Stefan's studio. They were told that they were learning a new routine today, which made Ellie shake with excitement.

"I cannot wait!" She exclaimed. Her eyes scanned the class, looking for their gorgeous teacher but her eyes met a pair of matching blue ones. Jez stood across the room and Ellie didn't know what to do. Usually she would jump on his back or into his waiting arms but they were in a fight. Weren't they?

Her brother stood awkwardly there until BB came behind him and gave him a slight push in Ellie's direction. She smiled to show that she wouldn't bite his head off if he came near and that calmed him down a bit.

"Hey Ellie."

"Hi Jez."

Her twin's matching eyes were swimming in guilt and Ellie just gathered Jez in for a hug. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him close, hoping that this would tell him that it was all okay. Jez placed his chin on top of her head and breathed in deep, wrapping his arms around his "little" sister.

"I'm sorry." He said as they pulled away. "For going off on you, for being a hypocrite, for embarrassing you…" He trailed off.

Ellie smiled softly at him, "You forgot to say 'for being a prick that can't take a joke'." With her saucy comment, Jez pulled her in for another hug but it was broken quickly at the sounds of the doors opening and Stefan walking in.

"We'll talk later, Jeremy." She said, smiling at the playful glare he sent her way.

Ellie was practically bouncing up and down when Stefan spoke of his new routine for the class. Everyone around her was nervous and frantic about learning _this _routine because this was the one they had to perform for the mid-year performance. The young professor stood at the front of the class.

"Alright guys, you all know this routine is extremely important because if you mess this up not only will _you_ look stupid but _I_ will look stupid. And that can never happen." The class let out nervous laughs at Stefan's 'joke' but went quiet when resumed speaking.

"You will be paired up with a person of _my_ choice and you cannot complain or object to your partner because in the real world you won't always be paired with someone you like." And with that he paired the students off.

Jez was with Lola, BB was with Lauren, Claudine was with some random bloke, and (not) to Ellie's surprise she was paired with Danny.

Danny came up in front of her and smiled, holding his hands out to her. She shook her head and smiled. "Danny we haven't seen the routine yet." He chuckled and turned to face Stefan and they both studied the teacher's moves intently.

"Now everyone face your partner and look them straight in the eye." You could hear giggles floating through the room as the students did as they were told. Danny and Ellie didn't omit any sound as blue met blue once again. "This routine is a contemporary dance, which means you are not only dancing but you are playing a role as well." Danny quirked an eyebrow, never breaking contact but a small turn of Ellie's lips was enough for the boy to grin. "You and your partner are lovers," Giggles again filtered through the room. "Lovers who are being separated and this is your last moment to be together. Now I want you all to feel that passion as you move, okay?"

Stefan stopped talking and stepped toward his dance partner, showing the class a few more times how the dance is done before they had to start themselves. But before they could the bell rang signalling the end of the class.

"Sorry guys, the routine took up all of class time. I suggest you and your partner meet on your own time and practise. Remember it is vital to your grade and your _life_." He said slightly threateningly.

Danny turned to Ellie and asked, "Do you mind if we practise now? I want to get the moves down as soon as possible." Understanding his desire to be great, she nodded her head and smiled. "Let me just tell Jez that we'll be skipping lunch, yeah?"

Danny nodded and she went over to her brother telling him what their plan was. Danny could see from his spot in the corner that Jez didn't mind at all and gave his sister a hug goodbye as he left with the rest of his mates.

"You ready to dance, Miller?" She exclaimed as everyone left. Stefan had let the duo borrow the stereo to practise if they returned it before the end of the day.

"You bet, Tyler. Now let's move."

Placing her hand in his bigger one, Ellie was pulled against Danny's hard chest. They moved gracefully together just as Stefan had a few moments before, eyes never leaving the others unless a turn broke the contact.

"So, you and Jez kissed and made up?" He teased gently as they moved. Messing up one of the leg movements, they started again.

"Yes we did. We never stay mad at each other for long." Ellie responded leaning back against his chest as the dance required.

"That's good. Are you still going out tonight?" Danny asked with no hesitation and Ellie replied by saying that she was. Ellie was lifted a little of ground and Danny half-turned her but made a mistake in her footing as she landed.

Groaning in frustration the raven-haired girl shook off all the mistakes and asked to start again.

At a part in the dance where the partners had to put their faces close with their cheeks brushing against the other's, Ellie sucked in a deep breath before. She was not prepared for the flood of feelings that engulfed her as they moved against each other. Heat radiated between Danny and Ellie making it hard for either of them to think clearly.

Stopping the dance, Ellie pushed away from Danny and moved to the other side of the studio.

"Ellie?" His voice slightly wavered as he too struggled to regain control. "You felt it too." He didn't ask because he knew. Knew that whenever they were near each other they couldn't _not _touch, whether it was a brush of the hands or knees under the desk it always set their whole body on fire. And when they danced together, it felt as though everything around them disappeared.

Ellie turned around with tears building up in her blue orbs. "I can't do this Danny. I won't." Her chin wobbled and he grabbed a hold to steady it. "It will hurt him and I will never do that, _ever_. He's had enough pain in his life, he doesn't need me adding more to it."

Watching her cry and not being able to help was hurting Danny more than he thought it would. He didn't understand what she was talking about; all he wanted was to help make her pain to go away.

Leaning in to her body, Danny watched her reaction as he leant his forehead against hers. Slowly he captured her soft lips in a small kiss and held her close to him, hoping to make her pain go away. Ellie kissed back, despite everything in her telling her not to, despite her brother's face flashing through her mind she still kissed back with just as much fever as Danny. She grabbed Danny's neck to pull him in closer, passion taking over everything.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Danny never dated Lauren or Claudine—Claudine still likes him though, Lauren only as a friend_._

Chapter Six

"Ellie, what's wrong?" Lauren said in her ear. She had to move in close for Ellie to hear her for the music was too loud. Leaning towards her ear she said, "I'm not feeling all that well."

This wasn't a lie to get out of the club; she did feel terrible. She felt like she was a dirty rotten liar. Maybe it was because only hours before she was snogging Danny Miller in the middle of the dance studio when they were supposed to be practising.

"How about I take you home?" Lauren suggested, a glint in her green eyes telling Ellie she wanted nothing more than to leave. "Are you sure?" Ellie asked for good measure. Lauren nodded her head and the two got up from their seats at the bar and made their way through the dancing crowd until they found Claudine against some guy and Lola jumping up and down merrily.

"Claudine!" Lauren yelled hoping to catch the girl's attention. It did and the dark haired beauty turned to Ellie and Lauren with a frown. "What do you want?"

"We're leaving, going to take the train home okay?" Claudine only nodded her head and that was enough affirmation the pair needed to leave. They pushed through the throngs of sweaty men and women and finally broke through the exit doors.

"It was a bloody mess in there wasn't it?" Lauren exclaimed as they gulped in fresh air. She noticed how uncharacteristically quiet Ellie was tonight and she was worried. "Ellie? Could you tell me what is wrong? You're not acting like yourself and I'm really worried." Not wanting the redhead to be in such turmoil over her, she sighed.

"Let's get us a train back home and then I'll tell you." Ellie said with a slight jerk of her head. They made their way down and got on the first one that led to Ellie's flat. Since they had planned on drinking, Ellie told Lauren that she could spend the night at her house even though they left before they drank anything.

Turning toward her, Ellie let out a breath. "Before I start, I have to ask you not to tell anyone…especially Jez." Once Lauren nodded her head to confirm that she wouldn't, Ellie began to tell her about what has been happening between her and Danny since the day she came to Britannia High. When she told her about the kiss, Lauren gasped but didn't interrupt and when Ellie started to tear up when telling her about it, the redhead just gathered the smaller girl in her arms and tried to calm her down as they waited for their stop.

They were now walking toward the flat Ellie and Jez shared, when Lauren asked, "Ellie, how would dating Danny hurt Jez?"

Before answering, Ellie thought it over in her head. Should she tell her? She knew that Lauren would never tell a soul but this wasn't her secret to tell. What should she do?

Looking over the other girl, Ellie replied softly, "Sorry, I can't say. But thank you for all the help you gave me tonight. You're the best, Lauren." She pulled her in for a hug and they jumped into the lift, which carried them one step closer to a hot shower and a comfy bed.

--

Shouting and cheers of joy were heard as the two girls neared Ellie's door. The dark-haired girl unlocked the door and stepped inside, not really fazed by the scene that greeted her.

Jez, BB, and _Danny_ were in the living room shouting at the TV as they played some type of video game. Ellie just walked right by them, still in her depressed stupor as Lauren said hello and then followed her into her room.

Holding Ellie up by her shoulders, Lauren said sincerely. "Ellie, go shower then slip into some sweats and we shall try to figure out what you are going to do, yeah?"

Before Ellie could answer, a blonde head poked through the door and Jez's face appeared. "Lauren, do you mind if I have a chat with my sister?" He asked gently. Nodding her head, the other girl left the room and let the twins talk.

"What's up, J?" Ellie asked with as much feeling as she could at the moment.

"What's the matter?" He wasn't accusing her of anything, he was just plain concerned and that hurt Ellie more than anything. His sister shook her head and moved to the door while saying, "Nothing. Don't worry about me Jez; I'm good." She picked up a towel and her robe, signalling her need for a shower.

"Right, well I'll let you get to it, then." He frowned, knowing that she was hiding something, which was very unlike her. They told each other everything, why was she keeping secrets?

Ellie trudged to the bathroom not realizing it was occupied already. When she went to turn the knob, the door had opened and on the other side was Danny. He stopped immediately and their eyes locked again, blue on blue. No words were exchanged between them as they tried to see what the other was feeling through their eyes. Danny looked down both ends of the hallway and saw no one coming, and with that he yanked Ellie inside by her elbow.

She didn't let out a scream or any sound at all that showed opposition to what he was doing. All she did was lean against the door after it closed. Her heart started to race as Danny stood across from her looking at her with those eyes, the ones that make her want to give in so badly. Her lips trembled when he took a step closer, "Stop Danny. We can't do this."

"Why not?" His voice sounded so broken. "You keep pushing me away and won't even tell me why you're doing it!" Ellie choked out a sob and Danny immediately broke his resolve and closed the distance between them. He held the crying girl in his arms and tried to wipe the tears away.

He asked her if she was okay, "Yeah, thanks. I never cried so much in my life than when I'm with you." It was meant to be a joke but the look on his face eliminated any humour.

"Danny I didn't mean – Look, I just need t – to figure out what to do." His blue eyes were not angry but determined.

"Do you like me Ellie?" It was a simple question but whatever happened next depended on her answer. Ellie decided to stop fighting it and whispered one word.

"Yes."

"Do you want to be with me?"

Again she whispered, "Yes."

"Than that's all that matters."

With those words, he pulled her in again to press his lips against hers. Ellie's weak composure broke and she kissed him back fiercely. Their lips moved just as their bodies had yesterday while they danced. Danny lifted his hands to place them on her cheeks, gently cradling her face. Ellie moaned softly and leaned into his hard torso as Danny pushed her gently against the bathroom counter, leaving no room between them.

Out in the hallway, Jez left Ellie's room to see BB coming down the hall from the living room.

"Hey, mate. Where you off to?" He asked.

"I've got to use the bathroom, is Danny done?"

Jez was confused, "Danny? He's not in there, Ellie is." BB looked at the blonde as if he was crazy.

"No, man, Danny went in a few minutes ago. Right after you went to talk to Ellie." The darker boy's face was a mix between amusement and pure confusion at the conversation.

Both boys looked toward the door and Jez walked up to it. He reached for the doorknob and turned it, finding the door unlocked.

And when he pushed open the door, he was greeted with an unlikely sight.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

The pair broke apart as they heard the door crash against the wall. Breathing heavily, Ellie looked toward it and her eyes widened.

"Ellie." Jez whispered. It was the only thing he said as he stood in the doorway with a wide-eyed BB behind him. Pushing Danny away from her she moved towards her brother but he stormed out of the bathroom and all the way out of the apartment. Ellie couldn't help but try to run after him but she knew it was useless; he was already gone.

The raven-haired girl fell against the closed front door and slid to floor, silent and in a daze. She had done it; she had actually broken her brother's heart. He will never forgive her and she didn't blame him one bit.

A hand brushed her shoulder and a familiar voice called her name softly. "Ellie? Are you alright?" Danny kneeled down in front of her, his face full of worry for the girl in front of him. She stared at him in silence for the longest time until she whispered, "No."

--

15 days, 2 hours, 45 minutes.

That is how long Jez has been ignoring Ellie since he found her pressed against the bathroom counter by his mate, Danny. Every day he makes sure he avoids her at all costs. In the morning, he wakes up early so he doesn't see her and after school he locks himself in his room only coming out when Ellie wasn't around.

This was also how long Ellie and Danny had been together as a _real_ couple. They went on their first date a few days after everyone found out, though Ellie did feel guilty about it. The whole school seemed to have found out about it too...though Danny kissing her in the middle of the hallway wasn't the greatest way to keep it secret. They tried not to flaunt their new relationship in Jez's face whenever he was around but he usually disappeared when they entered a room anyways.

She knew why Jez was doing what he was; it was because he hated confrontation. It's one of the many things they had in common. They would stew in their own anger and lock themselves away rather than dealing with the problem.

But not anymore.

BB told her that Jez was still in the studio reviewing tomorrow's lunch slot, it was the perfect time and place to corner him. He was sitting with his back to her as she entered the room and his head was bobbing along with whatever music he was listening to.

Only one earpiece of the headphones were attached to his ear so Ellie just said,

"Hey Jez."

The blonde spun around in his chair startled at the intrusion. When he saw who it was, all surprise was eliminated as anger took over.

"What do you want?" Ellie had never seen her brother so angry at anyone let alone _her_.

"I came to – to apologize and to explain." The darker haired twin stuttered as she bit her lip, trying not to cry.

"What's to explain, Ellie? You and Danny are together, end of story." He turned back to the soundboard. "Im sort of busy, so you have to leave now."

"Jez! Jez, I'm so sorry." Ellie pleaded with him. He wouldn't even _look_ at her. "I tried to stay away from him, I didn't _want_ to give in because I knew it would hurt you. I – "

"A lot of good that's done since I caught you two snogging in the bathroom!" He spun around and stood up defiantly. He wasn't angry anymore; his face was now covered in hurt and disappointment. She tried to move closer to him, to comfort him like she always did but he flinched away from her.

"You know what, I give up!" She was tired of this crap, he wanted to be bitchy well she'd show him. "I'm done apologizing and groveling for your forgiveness! For weeks now I have apologized in every possible form but you won't hear it! You want to be a stubborn twat that is your choice but I am _not_ apologizing for how I feel anymore." Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she gasped for air.

Jez looked down at her, blue eyes like ice. "You knew how I felt about him Ellie, you _knew_ and yet you still went after him!"

"I didn't go after him, he was after _me_! You said it yourself, Danny fancied me –" She was interrupted by her twin.

"And you said you would never like him –" Jez interjected but was cut off by his sister.

"I got to know him better and I changed my mind!" She shouted.

The siblings just stared at each other for a while as their breathing returned to normal. Ellie shook her head and looked up sadly at Jez.

"I'm sorry that I hurt you, Jez. I promised myself that I would never to that to you, especially after everything you'd been through." Ellie took a deep breath as she continued, "I love you Jez, so much. You're my big brother," She smiled sadly at their joke. "And if me seeing Danny is going to hurt you this much...then I won't."

She sniffled and turned around not waiting for his reply as she left. Back in the studio, Jez plopped down onto his chair in disbelief.

–

When Ellie returned to her flat, she saw Danny sprawled awkwardly on the couch. As soon as he saw her, he jumped up with a dimpled grin on his cute face and walked over to her. Ellie's heart broke a little knowing what she was about to do.

"Hey babe, how was your day?" He asked giving her a soft kiss on the lips. Without saying anything, Ellie wrapped her arms around his waist and tugged his body against hers. A little confused, Danny slowly

"Ellie? What's wrong?" He was so worried about her and it hurt Ellie even more. She pulled out of his arms and wrapped her own around her waist.

She raised her blue eyes to look at him as she spoke softly, "Danny we need to talk." She led him over to the couch with a sad frown on her face which contrasted to Danny's oblivious grin. For a few minutes, they sat in silence as Ellie tried to think of what to say and how to say it. The quiet started to unnerve Danny and he asked what was up.

"Danny, I like you...a lot." She started, gnawing her lip in a nervous fit. "I like that you can make me laugh and you know just what to say to make me feel better. I like those little dimples in your cheeks when you smile even in the slightest and the fact that we share our passion for dance."

Danny's smile grew as she spoke but fell slightly when a tear fell down her cheek. He raised his hand and swept a guitar-calloused thumb across her soft cheek. Ellie looked down at her fidgeting hands and continued talking.

"But being with you is hurting the one person I love the most and I can't stand that." The small girl rose from her spot on the couch. "I think it's best that we don't continue seeing each other, Danny."

Danny got up from his seat and stood behind her. "Is this because of Jez? Ellie, you know he'll get over it just like he did during the last fight you guys had."

She turned around and found her self only centimeters away from Danny. "This is different; this involves you now."

"What about me? He can't just be angry that you're dating his mate?" Danny was confused and panicked over losing Ellie and his voice shook.

"It's more than that. Danny, you don't understand it all..." She trailed off as if she was contemplating telling Danny something else. "Then tell me and help me understand, please?" His eyes were wide and pleading with her to talk to him.

Ellie stepped back and whispered, "I think you should go..." To emphasize her point, she walked to the door and opened it.

Danny looked crushed and it took everything in her not to blurt out that she didn't mean anything that she had just said. Instead, Ellie looked away from his sad blue eyes and furrowed brow to stare at the shiny teapot on the stove.

From the corner of her eye, Ellie could see Danny pick up his jacket and walk toward her. He stopped in front of her and saw that she would avoid meeting his eyes. Taking the initiative, Danny gently pulled her face toward his and looked into her eyes for any answers. He found none and to say goodbye, he leaned in for a deep kiss. Salty tears mixed in with their lips as they molded together and Danny pulled away slowly.

"I'll see you around, Ellie."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Weeks passed by with homework and the dance routine for the mid-year show, which left no time for anything else. Like wondering if you made the biggest mistake of your life by breaking up with one of the greatest guys on the planet. Which is exactly what Ellie was doing as she stared at her course work for Musical Theory.

Groaning in frustration she rolled off of her bed and walked into the kitchen where Jez was sitting on the counter, sipping what Ellie guessed was his usual green tea. The twins' relationship found it's way back to normal after the breakup so when Ellie entered the room, her brother smiled wide.

"I was worried you were never going to leave that room." He joked, pushing the cup against his lips again. She gave him a tight lipped smile, having no energy to send a genuine grin his way. Being the intuitive person that he is, Jez picked up on her unpleasant mood.

"Ellie, are you okay?" He wasn't stupid, he knew that she was taking her break-up with Danny hard. And for the last couple of weeks he's been trying to figure what to say to make her feel better but he realized there was nothing. It was his fault she was miserable and all he wanted was to see her smile again. "Yeah Jez, I'm just peachy."

And with that she picked up her coat and walked out the door, throwing a "I'll see you later" over her shoulder. The blonde boy stared at the closed door wondering if she was going to be okay. A few minutes later, he tore his gaze away and picked up his own coat and left the flat.

He had his own work to do.

--

Ellie was walking down the halls of Britannia High. Since it was the weekend, there weren't many students around and the quiet was relaxing. The girl entered one of the many empty dance studios and stared at herself in the mirror.

A song was softly playing in her mind and Ellie's body slowly started to sway to the sound. She lifted her arms and moved across the wooden floor, the world around her fading away as her lithe form moved through the air. She opened her eyes and a smile graced her pale face as she came down from the natural high that dancing installed in her. It was then that Ellie noticed she had company. The redhead walked into the dance studio and smiled brightly at Ellie.

"Hey Lauren, how are ya?" A slight lilt in her voice showed that Ellie was not in the same mood she was for the past month. She was happier; more free.

"I'm fine, how are you?"

The pair never bothered with such trivial conversation but since Ellie and Danny broke up, Lauren was always cautious. The darker haired girl smiled crookedly at her, "Lauren can we please skip this rubbish? You can talk to me in the exact same way you did before."

Lauren grinned at her and said, "So I can tell you that you looked like an absolute weirdo dancing to no music?"

The two girls laughed at Lauren's attempt to be cruel and Ellie threw an arm around the redhead.

"How about we go get some pizza?" Ellie suggested. "And then we'll work on how to properly insult someone, yeah?"

–

It's the weekend and Jez finds himself at Britannia High, walking through the halls looking for the one person who can fix all their problems.

The first thing he spotted was his curls and he moved gracefully across the floor. The school dance studios was the only place you'd find Danny these days. He said to the group that he was just perfecting the moves for the mid-year performance but they knew he avoiding them all.

The blonde stepped into the studio. "Danny? Do you have a sec?" His voice echoed in the empty space. The brunette nodded as he walked over to his mate.

A long silence stretched between the two as Jez tried to word his jumbled thoughts. "Jez? Are you going to talk or just stand there?"

The taller boy smiled nervously, "Okay, I – I have to tell you something and you have to promise _not_ to freak out."

Danny nodded his head, his face adorably scrunched up in confusion.

"You'll probably understand everything that's been going on when I'm finished." He twisted his hands together and tugged on the end of his skinny tie.

"Jez just get on with it, yeah?" A small grin tugged at Danny's face and it made Jez relax.

Jez took a deep breath and stared at the brunette and Danny saw hesitation burning in his eyes. So he moved closer and placed a hand gently on Jez's arm to encourage him to continue.

"The reason Ellie broke up with you was because of me." Jez watched Danny's smile turn to a frown and his head tilt sideways as he became more confused. "She knew it was hurting me to see you guys together and..."

"Why?" Was all Danny said.

"Why what?"

"Why did it hurt you? It can't just be that we're mates because you aren't like that. I know you, Jez." The last part was whispered and Jez felt the heat of Danny's words on his cheek.

"I was jealous," Jez blurted out. "For the most part I was envious that she was the one that you looked at like _that_."

Danny's confusion turned to slow understanding. "You – _like_ me?" His voice wasn't mean or angry; it was surprised and a little cocky. The blonde shook his head, "No...I _love_ you, Danny. There is a big difference."

The air around them suddenly changed as Jez continued, "I just wanted you to know the truth and to – " His sentence was cut off as Danny's rough fingers slowly reached up and caressed his cheek.

The blonde sucked in a deep breath but couldn't exhale when his mouth was covered by Danny's in a rough, bruising kiss. Everything around them disappeared even the two pairs of blue and green eyes that stared in shock in the doorway.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

It's showtime!

Or at least it will be in a week. Stefan was making them practice twice as hard for the mid-year show and the class was beginning to wear down. Their young teacher noticed this and told them to take a ten minute break, which the class replied with an exhausted cheer.

Ellie saw Lauren sitting by her bag, she left her place next to Danny and walked on over to her to sit next to the redhead. Too tired to say hello, Lauren just smiled at her and they both slumped against the mirrored wall behind them. The only part of Ellie's body that could move with no pain were her eyes, which were now lazily scanning the room.

Her gaze met her brother's and he gave her a small smile. Ellie's mind flashed a scene of Jez and Danny together yesterday – in this same dance studio – holding each other, _kissing_ each other. Shaking her head, the young girl tore her gaze away from her twin's.

"Lauren?" Her voice was small and shaky. The redhead turned to her with a questioning gaze, giving Ellie the chance to continue. "Can you not tell anyone about what we saw yesterday?"

Lauren's eyes went wide and she sat up straight. "Yeah, of course but – " She stopped when Ellie's sad eyes stared into hers. Lauren could tell her friend was about to cry so she asked Stefan if they could go to the bathroom.

There was no one there when they got inside, so Lauren sat Ellie down on the seat and knelt down in front of her.

"I'm not going to cry, Lauren." The raven-haired girl said as the other's green eyes worriedly glanced at her. "I'm through crying over Danny and everything that has happened. I'm done. I think I'm over it…or at least I want to be." She peered over at the girl. "Danny and I…we just weren't mean to be, I guess."

"How do you know, Ellie? Your relationship wasn't all that long." Lauren pointed out with a sorry gaze. The darker haired girl chuckled.

"I know but my motto in life is that everything happens for a reason…" She sighed deeply, remembering. "And if Danny chooses Jez and not me then that must mean something else more brilliant will be out there for me."

Lauren stared at Ellie with a strange look in her green eyes that made the other girl slightly uncomfortable.

"What?"

"You are so – "

At that moment Jez strolled into the girls bathroom as if it was the most normal thing for him to do. He saw his sister's distressed face and kneeled beside Lauren.

"Ellie? Babe, what's wrong?" The two girls stared at him in surprise and amusement. The redheaded girl turned to him and chuckled. "Did you get lost, Jez? Or do you make it a habit to walk into women's bathrooms?" She asked him. This question actually made Ellie grin and even let out a stream of giggles.

Jez stared at his sister with a beautiful smile on his face. It was the first time in a while that he'd seen her smile or heard her laugh. He told them that he saw that Ellie was upset and when they left, he had to see if she was alright.

"So, are you?...alright?"

"I'm fine, Jez. Quit worrying will ya?" Her eyes showed no emotion as they stared into an identical pair of baby blues. "You should get out before some girl comes in and goes bloody mad." She nudged him away and he left the girls bathroom, sending a mischievous smile back at them.

"So what are you going to do now, Ellie?" Lauren's hesitant question hovers in the air as Ellie slumps against the tiled bench.

"Hell if I know..." Was her response as she laughed along with her friend.

--

On his way out of the girls bathroom, Jez bumped into Danny who just left the boys'. Confused as to why Jez was in there in the first place, Danny asked him what he was doing.

The blonde stared at the curly haired boy in absolute surprise but quickly shook his head and told him why he was in the ladies bathroom. They made tense trivial conversation after that and it was slowly making Jez annoyed.

"Are we going to talk about what happened?" The blonde blurted out, making Danny smirk slightly. Danny nodded his head and pulled the other boy into an empty stairwell. They stared at each other for what seemed like hours but in reality was only a few seconds.

"Why did you do what you did, Danny?" With all his nerves and anticipation, Jez really didn't care about making sense at the moment. Despite his confusing question, Danny opened his mouth to respond.

"I – I don't know really." The brunette shrugged as Jez sent him an incredulous look. "I guess I just...wanted to." A small smile danced onto his face and he looked at Jez. The blonde boy was jumping excitedly inside until her face flashed through his mind.

"What about Ellie?"

Danny dipped his head down a bit and rubbed the back of his neck. "I like Ellie...I do...but that's over now. She chose to end it, remember?" He raised his head and looked into Jez's blue eyes.

"Yes but you know _why_ she did it, don't you want to – I don't know -- get back with her?" Jez's whole entire being pleaded with Danny to reject all thoughts of returning to the girl, even as his mind reminded him that that _girl_ was his sister. Danny stepped closer to Jez causing the blonde's heart rate to speed up a bit.

"I get that Ellie's your sister and you want to protect her and do right by her – but what about you Jez?" Danny's words wrapped around Jez's mind and his soft voice made his will crack slightly. "After everything you've been through, why can't you get what you want?" The brunette's eyes bore into Jez's blue ones and Danny saw his answer in them.

Slowly Jez reached over and wound his fingers around the back of Danny's neck bringing his face up to his, capturing his lips in a soft kiss. It was nothing like yesterday's rough and biting blending of flesh. It showed Danny just how much Jez cared for him and Danny returned it with a more hesitant but meaningful kiss.

They pulled away slowly but their bodies were still close as they tried to regulate their breathing. Danny looked up into those oh-so-familiar blue eyes and asked, "Will you be my boyfriend, Jez Tyler?"

Smiling wide, Jez nodded his head and brought Danny in for a more passionate kiss.


	10. Chapter 10

"So you're gay?"

BB's question had opposite effects on the two boys. Jez chuckled and sent a smirk over to Danny, who was sputtering and shaking his head. The darker boy let out a laugh as Danny opened his mouth to explain,

"I'm not – I like Jez and Jez _is_ a boy so I guess that makes me – no! I like girls too but – ugh!" His hands flew in the air as his frustration peaked. A pale hand softly rubbed his thigh as a sign of reassurance. Jez's blue eyes faced him as Danny looked up from the floor, they were shining with amusement.

"You think this is funny?" Danny's face scrunched up adorably as Jez tried to keep in his giggles. "I'm having a crisis here, Jez!"

"Please Danny! There's a _very_ simple answer to your so called crisis." To emphasize how ridiculous Danny was being he used curled his fingers into quotations as he said "crisis". The brunette looked pointedly at Jez as BB slouched back into the couch and watched the show.

"Your _crisis_ isn't that confusing. You like girls," He twisted his right hand out with the palm up to weigh in that option. "And you like boys." He flung his left hand out the same way only to the other side. The blonde smirked as his boyfriend (oh how he _loved_ saying that) still looked confused. Placing both hands in Danny's, his blue eyes twinkled with laughter. Jez was going to continue explaining to Danny the joys of liking bot girls and boys when...

"You're bisexual dammit!" A female voice said behind them. All three boys turned to the front door of the flat to see Ellie standing there with her hand on her hip. She dropped her bags by the kitchen entryway and stood in front of them all.

She placed a long, pale finger toward her chest and spoke slowly, "You were attracted to me...a girl." She then extended her arm to point over to her brother who was on the verge of a heart attack. "And you're also attracted to Jez...a boy. So you're _most likely_ a bisexual. Get it?"

All three boys stared in a shocked silence. BB was the first to break it of course, "I thought you said no one knew that you were together?"

Danny and Jez didn't reply because their gaze stood on Ellie. They looked scared, absolutely terrified at the girl's reaction to the "news". The petite Tyler twin let out a laugh of pure amusement.

"Did you think I was going to bite your head off?" She laughed again as the two boys nodded their heads. "Well, I won't. I'm happy for you guys..._really_." She emphasized the last word to express that she was telling the truth. Though from the skeptical looks on Danny, Jez, and even BB's faces...they did not believe her.

Ellie tried to get her point across, "No offence Danny but we weren't a pair of star-crossed lovers – I got over it and so did you obviously. " She waved her hand over to her shocked brother as a smile still graced her pink lips. At that, Ellie picked up her bags and started to her room.

"Wait!" Her brother called out and she turned around and looked at him expectantly. "How did you know about Danny and I anyway?" Ellie shrugged, asking him if it mattered and Jez replied by saying it didn't but he still wanted to know.

"You guys weren't doing a good job at hiding it. I mean, you don't make out in Stefan's dance studio if you want to keep it a secret." And with a smirk at the boys' blushing faces, Ellie turned and walked to her room, shouting over her shoulder, "Lauren saw you guys too!"

--

The week of preparation and grueling practices were almost over. Tomorrow was the mid-year show and the dancers of Stefan's first year class were shaking with fear.

All except Ellie and Danny, of course.

Despite everything that had happened since the day the boy and girl met, they still had their passion for dancing in common. Only now, it didn't inspire a make-out session between the two _friends_. They grinned as they faced each other, poised and ready as the music started.

"Do you see their faces?" Ellie exclaimed joyfully. "They're absolutely terrified!" The boy in front of her laughed at her excitement as they moved along to the music. Danny's face turned more serious as they stayed silent. Whatever he was thinking about made his brow deepen and a frown exchange his beautiful grin.

"Are you really okay with this?" He asked softly. Ellie knew what he meant straight away from the worried look in his eye. Her plump lips itched upwards softly as she said,

"Of course I am Danny." She sighed when his face showed that he didn't believe her. Still. "I'll tell you what I told Lauren, everything happens for a reason. So, you and Jez getting together must have happened because something absolutely wonderful is coming my way." Danny held Ellie in his arms firmly during the final stance as the music came to a close.

"I believe you." He whispered making Ellie's smile grow. "But you know you can still come to me right?" His eyes were sincere and Ellie just _had_ to ruin the moment.

Pushing away to start the routine again, she said, "Oh Danny boy, I won't be _coming_ around you anytime soon." The raven haired girl winked and the music blared throughout the studio as the class moved once again. Danny gave her a smirk and they began to dance, talking and laughing the whole way through.

--

They all gathered in the living room of Jez and Ellie's flat, contemplating what to do the night before the show. Most of the group was nervous as hell so getting them to even _consider_ doing something that wasn't preparation was a pain in the arse.

"Video games?" BB suggested but all he received was rejection.

"Night club?" Claudine said joyfully, standing up in her heels. When the group frowned and shook their heads, she plopped back down on the couch.

"Rainbows!" Came Lola's reply. All six of them stared at her in either amusement or annoyance at her random answer. Seeing that they were all staring at her oddly, Lola asked what was wrong. Jez placed a hand on her leg and said, "Nothing, babe."

"I say we pop in a movie and just chill." Danny's suggestion was the most appealing since they were all too sore to even get off the couch. They spent the next half hour debating which movie to watch and the whole night falling asleep on each other, the couches, or even (in BB's case) the floor.

--

The lights shone all around the stage as the audience got themselves fixated in their seats. Dancers, actors, and singers alike were all frantically running about trying to fix their make-up, hair, or costumes. You could even see some of them quietly rehearsing their steps or lines or lyrics in a corner backstage.

Ellie, Lauren, Claudine, and Lola were all calmly in their seats putting on their make-up for the show. A loud hiss from the dressing room door, made all four turn around. With only their heads poked in, Jez, Danny, and BB smiled at them.

"Hey ladies." Danny said with a big smile. The girls walked to the door and slipped outside.

"What do you prats want?" Ellie giggled. Instead of answering, they grabbed each of the girls and pulled them all together in a giant group hug. Pulling away they just said that they wanted to wish the girls good luck.

The Tyler twins stood in front of each other with matching smiles and matching blue eyes with the same excited glint in them. Jez wrapped and arm around Ellie's small shoulders as Stefan yelled, "five minutes!" throughout the hallway.

"It's been an eventful few months." Jez stared down at his sister happily.

Ellie nodded her head and replies, "I think I've stirred things up a bit, don't you?" Her blonde twin laughed and agreed with her. They started toward the hallway that takes them backstage when they ran into an unexpected visitor.

"Dad?" The twins screeched in disbelief. But it was true; their father, in his familiar crisp grey suit, was standing not five feet in front of them.

"Ellie? What are you doing here?" The girl blushed red and looked down. Jez turned to her and lifted her head to look at him.

"You didn't _tell_ him?"

Ellie couldn't speak so she just shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. Looking back and forth between her father and her brother she spoke quickly.

"Britannia High is Jez's thing, you know? I didn't want to take that away from him." The Tyler boys still looked confused, so she explained further. "No offense Dad, but you _do_ approve more of me than you do of Jez when it comes to dancing, yeah? I'm sure these past few months of complete silence are an indication of that."

Jack Tyler hung his head slightly as his daughter reminded him of his poor choices. Ellie didn't stop talking though...she never does.

"I just hoped that you _would_ come tonight to see Jez...and you did." She smiled and walked back into the girls' dressing rooms, when she turned around she saw her father and brother embraced in a tight hug.

"Everything happens for a reason." Ellie whispered.

--

Their fingers were interlocked as they all stood in a row and Britannia High's first year dancers bowed to the clapping crowd as the spotlight flickered over their grinning faces. They practically skipped off stage, they were that happy.

Ellie looked around the circle where she and her new mates stood, smiling. Her brother had his arm around Danny's waist and pulling him into a soft kiss, Lauren and Claudine were throwing insults at each other for good fun, and BB was trying to understand Lola's current random thought.

It was perfect.


End file.
